How can I get
involved?
If you would like to discuss opportunities
for establishing a Newman Fellowship in
any of the academic disciplines supported
by UCD, please contact Liz McFeely.
E: liz.mcfeely@ucdfoundation.ie
T: +353 (0)1 716 1287
Additional information is available at:
www.ucdfoundation.ie/newman-fellowship

Newman Fellowship Programme

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is the education which gives
a man a clear, conscious view of
their own opinions and judgements,
a truth in developing them, an
eloquence in expressing them,
and a force in urging them.â&#x20AC;?
Cardinal John Henry Newman, The Idea of a University

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University College Dublin

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is innovative initiatives such as the Newman Fellowship
Programme which are enabling UCD to achieve its ambition
to be recognised around the world as an international and
intercultural centre of learning and scholarship of the highest
standard, benefitting global, national and local communities.â&#x20AC;?
UCD President, Professor Andrew J. Deeks

Newman Fellowship Programme

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University College Dublin

The Newman
Fellowship Programme
The Newman Fellowship Programme
provides philanthropists, business and
industry with a valuable opportunity
to fund academic research through the
establishment of a Newman Fellowship.
The Newman Fellowship Programme, named after UCDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first rector,
Cardinal John Henry Newman, was established in 1989 by former UCD
President, Dr Patrick Masterson. In a move characteristic of his Presidency,
Dr Masterson, a Professor of Philosophy, foresaw this Programme as a
means to enhance research activity in UCD. Over 180 Fellowships have
been awarded since the Programmeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inception, generously supported by
leading Irish and multinational corporations, semi-state bodies, voluntary
organisations and individuals.
This support enables the delivery of world-class research across a wide
spectrum of disciplines, carried out by elite, high-calibre postdoctoral
researchers and brings enormous benefit to Ireland and the international
community. These Newman Fellows embody the pursuit of excellence and
impact in research, scholarship and teaching that is representative of UCD.

Making a positive impact on the lives
of sick children and their families

Newman Fellowship Programme

Dr Charlene Foley
Dr Charlene Foley, former Arthritis Ireland and
Down Syndrome Ireland Newman Fellow in Down’s
Arthropathy, was awarded a Newman Fellowship in
2015. Charlene used her Fellowship to highlight the
increased risk that children with Down syndrome face
in contracting a number of autoimmune diseases,
including arthritis, when compared with the general
paediatric population. Prior to her research, there
was limited literature and a significant paucity of
data available for reference, leading to a general lack of awareness about the risk of this
condition. This resulted in delayed diagnosis and unnecessary disability and functional
impairment in a group of children already at significant clinical risk.
Mentored by Prof Gerry Wilson and based in the Education and Research Centre in St
Vincent’s University Hospital, Charlene conducted a ground-breaking study on Down’s
Arthropathy, the first of its kind worldwide which discovered that one in fifty children with
Down syndrome has arthritis, more than twice that previously estimated. These results are
helping to improve the provision of care and quality of life for children with Down’s
Arthropathy. So impactful were the results of this study, it was reported in many national
newspapers and radio stations across the country.
Today, Charlene is working as a clinical research fellow funded by the National Children’s
Research Centre (NCRC). Researchers in the NCRC are working in collaboration with colleagues in
Ireland and around the world, as part of an international research effort aimed at the earlier
diagnosis and better treatment of serious childhood diseases. She is also working with UCD,
the Trinity Biomedical Science Institute, TCD and Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin.

“Without supports and structures in place to
encourage growth, it simply would not be feasible
for doctors to engage in research. The Newman
Fellowship Programme is a wonderful initiative to
support such ventures. To the Newman Fellowship
Programme, thank you.”
Dr Charlene Foley

Dr Manuel Magalhães Sant'Ana
Dr Manuel Magalhães Sant'Ana, former Veterinary Council Educational Trust Newman
Fellow in Veterinary Ethics, was awarded a Newman Fellowship in 2014. Mentored by
Prof Alison Hanlon and based in the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, UCD, Manuel's
research focused on identifying the ethical issues faced by the veterinary profession in
Ireland, UK, Denmark, Portugal and the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe.
During the course of his Fellowship, Manuel developed a practical toolbox to support
veterinary decision-making, policy and regulation. The implications of his research were
far-reaching and provided a foundation for the study of veterinary ethics in Ireland. His
approach provided a roadmap for the Veterinary Council of Ireland and other regulatory
authorities on how to engage with the veterinary profession (and other stakeholders) to
capture future ethical concerns. This was essential to ensure that governance, such as
the Codes of Professional Conduct, was fit for purpose. Furthermore, his research had
educational significance, creating a new pedagogic tool for undergraduate training and
continuing professional development. Manuel had six peer reviewed publications
arising from his research, published in the Irish Veterinary Journal.
Manuel has since been recognized as a European Veterinary Specialist in Animal Welfare
Science, Ethics and Law by the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural
Medicine. According to Manuel, “the Newman Fellowship enabled me to pursue an
academic career in the emerging area of veterinary ethics and I was able to network
effectively with international researchers with similar research interests. The expertise
gained during the Newman Fellowship was crucial for this recognition.”
Today, Manuel is a lecturer at the University of Porto and has been awarded funding for five
years by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (The Portuguese Foundation for Science
and Technology) to support further research in the area of veterinary ethics in Portugal.

“The Newman Fellowship provided essential
funding to an under-explored research
discipline. This was the first study of veterinary
ethics in Ireland and it set a benchmark for other
studies by the global veterinary community.”
Dr Manuel Magalhães Sant'Ana

Dr Ben Collins
Dr Ben Collins, former Agilent Technologies Newman Fellow in Quantitative Proteomics,
was awarded a Newman Fellowship in 2009. Mentored by Prof Stephen Pennington and
based in the UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, Ben’s
research focused on the development and application of analytical methodologies in the
areas of discovery and targeted mass spectrometry-based proteomics. His Fellowship
explored how these methods could be deployed in a variety of biological applications
including preclinical pharmaceutical toxicology, melanoma metastasis and progression
and prostate cancer biomarker development.
As a result of his Fellowship, Ben was offered a coveted position at the Institute of
Molecular Systems Biology (IMSB) at ETH Zurich as a postdoctoral researcher. His mentor,
Prof Stephen Pennington, had no doubt that his ability to secure a position in one of
the leading proteomics labs worldwide was enhanced by his receipt of the Agilent
Newman Fellowship.
Ben was recently awarded a Swiss National Science Foundation 'Ambizione' award
enabling him to start a research group in the IMSB. Now a group leader, Ben is applying
methods developed during his Fellowship to relevant problems in host-pathogen biology
with a focus on Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
According to Ben, “The Fellowship had a substantial impact on my professional
development, allowing me to pursue some unfinished research goals from my PhD thesis
leading to the publication of several high-quality journal articles. I had the opportunity
to be exposed to, and develop a relationship with, Agilent Technologies, who proved
to be a very progressive and supportive collaborative partner. I am grateful to UCD and
the Newman Fellowship Programme for the opportunity which has undoubtedly had a
significant impact on my career development.”

“My ability to secure a position in a worldclass mass spectrometry group at ETH Zurich
was undoubtedly helped by having been
part of a prestigious, competitive and named
Fellowship programme at UCD.”
Dr Ben Collins

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University College Dublin

Case Study: VĂŠtoquinol Newman Fellowship in Food Safety

Tackling the challenges of
antimicrobial resistance

Newman Fellowship Programme

Dr Marta Martins
Dr Marta Martins, former Vétoquinol Newman Fellow
in Food Safety was awarded a Newman Fellowship in
2013. Marta’s research sought to deepen our knowledge
of the mechanisms that contribute to antibiotic
resistance in Escherichia coli.
Since E. coli causing infections are a major veterinary
public health challenge, antimicrobial compounds have
been an important class of drugs used in treatment. Since
their discovery, these drugs have had a major impact on both animal and human health
alike. However, their efficacy in improving animal and human health, by eliminating infectious
agents, led to the widespread use of these compounds in the treatment of infectious
diseases. Such a development has seriously compromised the future efficacy of these
drugs, resulting in an urgent need to develop new drugs and therapeutic approaches.
Mentored by Prof Séamus Fanning and based in the School of Public Health,
Physiotherapy and Population Science, Marta’s research contributed to the understanding
of the development of antibiotic resistance in food-producing animals as well as the
impact of such resistance in the public setting. The discovery of adjuvant compounds that
can be used to reverse antibiotic resistance in bacteria is of great value and an important
contribution to the development of new therapeutic approaches that, in future, can be
used to treat multi-drug resistant associated infections. The outputs of her research were
published in high-profile journals and presented at conferences in Europe.
Today, Marta is an Assistant Professor in Microbiology at the Moyne Institute of Preventive
Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, where she continues to develop novel therapeutic
approaches to treat multi-drug resistant bacteria associated infections.

A word from
one of our donors
Novartis has been supporting the
Newman Fellowship Programme since
2012, initially supporting a Fellowship in
Neurology. The success of this Fellowship
led to the support in 2016 of another three
Fellowships in Neurology, Rheumatology
and Dermatology. Novartis's mission is
to discover new ways to improve and
extend people’s lives, using science-based
innovation to address some of society’s
most challenging healthcare issues.

Loretto Callaghan
Managing Director, Novartis Ireland

“Scientific research is at the core of our
company and central to our strategy, so
Novartis is delighted to partner with UCD’s
Newman Fellowship Programme.”
Loretto Callaghan, Managing Director, Novartis Ireland

â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a leading technology partner to academia, our support of the Newman
Fellowship Programme reflects our core belief that investing in the next
generation of thought leaders is a crucial part of moving science forward.â&#x20AC;?
Padraig McDonnell, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Agilent Technologies

UCD President, Professor Andrew J. Deeks with the 2017 Newman Fellows

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University College Dublin

Communicating impact and
recognising the generosity
of our donors
UCD Foundation welcomes the opportunity to report
on the many successes of the Newman Fellowship
Programme and the impact of its research through a
range of internal and external communication channels.
In addition, we are proud to share our appreciation for
our donors' support in the following ways:
•
Invitation to Newman Fellowship Programme Events
Each year, donors are invited to a Newman Fellowship Programme dinner. Donors
are also invited to talks and presentations given by their Newman Fellow and to
prestigious events in the UCD calendar.
•
Inclusion on the Newman Fellowship Donor Board
The name of each donor is placed on public display on the Newman Fellowship
Donor Board in the foyer of the O’Reilly Hall, on the UCD Belfield campus. The
O’Reilly Hall is the location used for all UCD graduations and hosts a range of
high-profile events throughout the year.
•
UCD Connections Magazine
With a readership base of over 300,000, the Newman Fellowship Dinner is showcased
in the UCD Connections magazine which is published every September and
distributed widely within Ireland and abroad.
•
Quarterly Newsletter
UCD Foundation sends a newsletter every semester to over 500 Newman Fellowship
alumni, key influencers and academics.
•
Public Engagement
Donors, in conjunction with UCD Foundation, can leverage the awarding of the
Fellowship, the appointment of a Newman Fellow and the publication of research
findings as opportunities to demonstrate the impact of their support in both general
and industry specific media.
•
Donor Communication Channels
UCD Foundation can work with the donor to provide content for communication
channels, such as corporate websites and newsletters, to promote their support of
the Newman Fellowship Programme.

Newman Fellowship Programme

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University College Dublin

Newman Fellowship Programme

The Annual Newman
Fellowship Dinner
Every year, UCD Foundation hosts a
prestigious dinner to welcome our donors,
Fellows and academic mentors to celebrate the
achievements of our Fellows.
The evening provides an opportunity to
acknowledge the generosity and support of
our donors, the dedication of our academic
mentors and the passion and diligence of our
Newman Fellows. It also gives our Fellows a
chance to update their donors and colleagues
on the developments of their research.

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University College Dublin

FAQ's
How much does each
Newman Fellowship cost?

Who can support a Newman
Fellowship?

How are Newman Fellows
recruited?

The cost of a Newman Fellowship is
€100,000. The Fellowship can be funded
in one or more instalments as agreed
between the donor and UCD Foundation.
As UCD Foundation is a registered charity,
this donation may be eligible
for tax relief.

Irish and multinational corporations,
semi-state bodies, voluntary
organisations, trusts, foundations and
individuals are eligible to support the
Newman Fellowship Programme.

In order to retain the Newman Fellowship
brand of excellence, it is important
for UCD to attract the highest calibre
of applicants possible for each new
Fellowship. Overseen by the Dean of
Graduate Studies, a recruitment plan
is implemented for each Fellowship,
tailored to the relevant discipline. This
may include the use of national and
international academic recruitment
platforms to attract a strong pool of
candidates. Existing academic networks
are also engaged to ensure the greatest
reach within a particular discipline.
Academic mentors will also ensure the
maximum level of exposure for each
Fellowship within the target community.
Interviews for short-listed candidates will
be held before a formal letter of offer is
issued by UCD Graduate Studies.

How many Fellowships have
been awarded to date?
To date, over 180 Fellowships have
been awarded since the programme’s
inception.

What is the duration of a
Newman Fellowship?
Each Fellowship offers financial support
for a period of two or three years.

How is the funding
broken down?

What is the eligibility criteria?
Candidate Fellows must hold a doctoral
degree, professional qualification or have
equivalent research experience to qualify
for a postdoctoral Newman Fellowship.

What training and
development opportunities
are available for Newman
Fellows?
UCD provides substantial training and
development opportunities for the
Fellows during their tenure across four
core competency areas:
• Research & Research Management

The Newman Fellow will receive a stipend
of €35,000 per annum. The balance of
€30,000 is used to cover recruitment,
research consumables, travel expenses,
PR activities and general administration
of the Programme.

• Personal & Professional Excellence

Which research areas
are funded?

All Newman Fellows will work alongside
an academic mentor who will support the
professional development of each Fellow
in their careers and promote excellence
in teaching and learning, research and
academic leadership.

All areas of research are funded under
this programme. Collaborative and
interdisciplinary research is encouraged.

What is the deadline
for applications?
As this is a rolling-call, applications can
be submitted throughout the year as
funding becomes available.

• Teaching, Learning & Mentoring
• Innovation & Transferable Skills

What mentorship will be
available to Newman Fellows?

Newman Fellowship Programme

Terms and Conditions
Under the terms of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997
each donation must satisfy the following conditions
in order to secure tax relief:
•
The donation must be for the purposes of education or research carried
out by University College Dublin;
• The donation must not be repayable;
•
The donation must not confer any benefit on the donor or any person connected
with the donor; including employment, intellectual property, or other rights or
obligations with respect to University College Dublin;
• The donation must not be conditional on, or associated with, any
arrangement involving the acquisition of property by UCD Foundation.

Newman Fellows are exempt from tax provided that
the following conditions are satisfied:
• The Fellow is registered and in receipt of full-time instruction in
University College Dublin;
• The objective of the Fellowship is the promotion of the Fellow’s education
and not the promotion of the research through the Fellow;
• There is no element of service (directly or indirectly) between the donor and Fellow;
•
The Fellowship does not arise out of employment (directly or indirectly)
with the donor;
• The Fellow is not connected directly or indirectly with the donor as an employee,
a director or a member of the household of a director.

All donations are accepted by UCD Foundation on the basis that the funds will only be
used for the purposes stated and in full compliance with the highest ethical standards
and all applicable laws, rules and regulations. The acceptance of these donations does
not create or imply any partnership or joint venture between either UCD Foundation
or University College Dublin and the donor, or the relationship of principal and agent
between them.

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University College Dublin

Newman Fellowship Programme

About
UCD Foundation
Founded in 1997, University College Dublin
Foundation CLG (UCD Foundation) is a
registered charity and a company limited by
guarantee registered in Dublin, Ireland. The
main objective of UCD Foundation is to engage
in fundraising activities for the purposes of the
furtherance of education and research carried
out by University College Dublin.
UCD Foundation is governed by an
independent non-executive Board of
Directors. The Directors represent a
diverse range of relevant expertise and
do not receive any remuneration or
reimbursement of expenses from UCD
Foundation. The Board meets four times
each year and is responsible for providing
leadership to the business of the
organisation and for ensuring control.
Accountability and transparency are
vitally important in everything that UCD
Foundation does. Our financial accounts
are prepared in accordance with the
requirements of the Companies Act 2014
and the provisions of the Statement of
Recommended Practice applicable to
charities preparing their accounts in
accordance with the financial reporting
standard applicable in the Republic of
Ireland (FRS 102). The Charities SORP
(FRS 102) is not yet mandatory in the
Republic of Ireland and the Irish Charities
Regulation has not yet prescribed

accounting regulations for Irish Charities.
In the absence of such prescriptive
guidance the Board of Directors has
adopted the Charities SORP (FRS 102) as
it is considered best practice.
Our annual reports are filed with the
Companies Registration Office and are
also available on our website. When the
work of the Charity Regulatory Authority
and Register of Charities under the
phased implementation of the Charities
Act, 2009 is complete, UCD Foundation
will ensure full compliance with all
requirements.
UCD Foundation CLG is a registered
charity â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CHY12448.
UCD Foundation CLG is company limited
by guarantee - No. 266667.
To learn more about UCD Foundation,
please visit www.ucdfoundation.ie

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University College Dublin

University
College Dublin
University College Dublin is
Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Global University

A University of Scale and
Impact

Founded over one hundred and sixty
years ago, UCD is one of Europe's
leading research-intensive universities;
an environment where undergraduate
education, masters and PhD training,
research, innovation and community
engagement form a dynamic spectrum
of activity.

As Ireland's largest university, with its
great strength and diversity of disciplines,
UCD embraces its role to contribute to
the flourishing of Ireland, Europe and
the wider world; through the study and
discussion of people, society, business,
economy, culture, languages and the
creative arts, as well as through research
and innovation. The University's Strategy
2015-2020 outlines the objectives and
major strategic initiatives set in place in
order to accomplish UCD's mission and
vision for this era.

The international standing of UCD has
grown in recent years; it is currently
ranked within the top 1% of higher
education institutions world-wide.
UCD is also Ireland's most globally
engaged university with over 30,000
students drawn from over 138 countries,
and includes 5,500 students based
at locations outside of Ireland. The
University's main Dublin campus
occupies an extensive parkland estate
of more than 130 hectares and offers
world-leading facilities including the
UCD O'Brien Centre for Science, UCD
Sutherland School of Law, UCD Lochlann
Quinn School of Business, UCD Michael
Smurfit Graduate Business School and
UCD Student Centre.

To learn more about UCD, please visit
www.ucd.ie

Newman Fellowship Programme

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University College Dublin

John Henry Newman
True Enlargement of Mind
Our Founding Rector, John Henry Newman, came to Ireland in the 1850s
with a vision for higher education, a vision he outlined in his book,
The Idea of a University, a vision that still informs the mission of
University College Dublin today.
This vision was for education in the
fullest sense, the formation of the whole
person, not just intellectual training, but
developing moral wisdom and the skills
and virtues needed to live a fulfilling,
good and flourishing life, a life lived
for others. “True enlargement of mind”
is, according to Newman, beyond the
acquirement of knowledge.
As he wrote: “It is the education which
gives a man a clear conscious view of
his own opinions and judgments, a truth
in developing them, an eloquence in
expressing them, and a force in urging
them. It teaches him to see things as
they are, to go right to the point, to
disentangle a skein of thought, to detect

what is sophistical, and to discard what
is irrelevant.” He saw the university
primarily as a “seat of wisdom, a light of
the world, a minister of the faith, an alma
mater of the rising generation”. He saw
the university graduate as one who was
open to all things: the student will have
a “faculty for entering with comparative
ease into any subject of thought, and
of taking up with aptitude any science
or profession”. “True enlargement of
mind... thus is that form of Universal
Knowledge... set up in the individual
intellect, and constitutes perfection”.
Newman wanted the university to
preserve and hand on the wisdom of
past generations but also to be open to
the future, to the advances in science, to

Painting of Cardinal John Henry Newman by Sir John Everett Millais, 1881

modernity. He had a vision of students
learning to be citizens of the world.
He wanted to expose young minds to
the liberal arts, to the sciences, and
encouraged them to see the connections
between things.
Above all, he wanted to set their hearts
on fire. Cor ad cor loquitur – heart speaks
to heart – was his motto.
Written by Professor Dermot Moran –
Newman Fellowship Programme Mentor,
UCD School of Philosophy and Director
of UCD International Centre for Newman
Studies.

How can I get
involved?
If you would like to discuss opportunities
for establishing a Newman Fellowship in
any of the academic disciplines supported
by UCD, please contact Liz McFeely.
E: liz.mcfeely@ucdfoundation.ie
T: +353 (0)1 716 1287
Additional information is available at:
www.ucdfoundation.ie/newman-fellowship